Once again, the summer event that is BitSummit has come and gone, leaving Japanese fans absolutely amped for all the upcoming titles that will be gracing consoles, PCs and handhelds over the next several months and years. Thankfully, this year, I once again got a chance to sit down with a handful of developers and producers to talk about their upcoming titles and projects, and a couple of major releases made their way to my microphone.

Patapon is a game that is near and dear to my heart, being one of the best releases for the PSP, and a rhythm game that I spent many long hours enjoying across Japan. With Patapon 1+2 Replay having been recently released, it was a good time to take a look at the upcoming spiritual successor, Ratatan. With new roguelike elements, online multiplayer and a lush, vivid world that takes the charm of the first games to a new level, this crowdfunded darling plays marvelously and was a constant traffic jam at the gaming event. So much so, that Ratatan won the coveted Vermillion Gate Award, making it the most lauded title from a positively massive voting pool.

I was very fortunate to sit down with the series creator, Hiroyuki Kotani, and lead producer, Kazuto Sakajiri to get a few of their thoughts on the game as it heads towards Early Access. I was also joined by Justin Pfeiffer of DANGEN Entertainment for some very helpful interpretations, as my Japanese is still exceedingly poor. What we got to learn was interesting, intriguing and positively hype for the upcoming release.

Oliver: Thank you both very much for taking the time to meet with me today I know the first day of BitSummit tends to be very busy.

[emphatic nodding from all]

Just before we begin: why Ratatan now? While Patapon still holds a strong place in many people’s hearts, I’d like to understand what lead to a sequel being developed in today’s gaming world.

Sakajiri: As a matter of fact, I’ve always wanted to make another game; a lot of time has passed, but we (Sakajiri and Kotani) have kept in touch as we are friends. Then, one day, drinking in an izakaya, I said “you know, I’ve always wanted to make another game.” And in today’s indie game society, it’s a lot easier to do this outside of larger publishers. So, after some discussion and realization, they put it into action in 2022. That’s when the Kickstarter began, which was the induction of the whole journey. 

Oliver:WIth the original Patapon, the title is evocative of the sounds and movement within the game. How does Rataran’s change the feeling of the game?

Kotani: Ratatan and Patapon are both words that evoke movement through sound. In the gameplay aspect, the user inputs  A, A, B, B, but they want to attach sounds to the button so you aren’t just remembering button input. Pa-ta-pon, Ra-ta-tan, Zun-taka-zun-taka. The feeling of Ratatan is a walking feeling, but zun-taka are moments of pushing forward and powering on.

Sakajiri: We were thinking about the global aspects. A title that would make sense in both English and Japanese.

Oliver: And the title works really well: while it has roots in the original, it shows the change and also matches the new approach to rhythm games in the world as well.

Kotani & Sakajiri: Both titles want to capture the bright, lively feeling of the game world. And, as you can see in the background of the artwork, we still make sure to show that Pataon is present, even if it’s not the central idea.

Oliver: For newcomers to the Patapon/Ratatan world, what kind of impression are you hoping they take away from this new experience?

Sakajiri: With the call and response gameplay, players will have a unique impression even with other types of rhythm games available nowadays.

Kotani: As this is a roguelike game, it is and it isn’t Patapon. In Patapon, its a very long journey where you go out and eventually get to the end.  Due to the limitations of the PSP, the game could only go so far. But now, with Ratatan, the player can have a similar sense but with meta aspects of powering up the characters and equipping different things create a different feeling altogether. I hope the players can appreciate the differences and how it changes the overall game for them.

Oliver: Speaking of the PSP, the portability did allow for players to walk around with Patapon, adding to the overall experience of the movement rhythm gaming. Ratatan, being multiplatform, has the possibility to be stationary; will this change the overall enjoyment for players?

Sakajiri: Well, with the future release, it is playable on the Steam Deck as well as one version of the Switch [no comment on which version] so the portability is still possible. That being said, the online aspect is something that we really want people to take a look at. The current demo is four player and the Early Access will also have four players that can participate. We are looking into and hoping that we can create a local multiplayer style so players at home can play together.

Oliver: When it comes to the future of Ratatan, are you considering DLC or additional major updates to Ratatan?

Kotani: Early Access is coming, and we’ll be certain to let you know the date of that when we can. During the Early Access, there will be two major updates prior to the full release, so the game is definitely not in its final form at this time. When it comes to DLC in the future, we would love to work with partners and other creators to add more music (for example, LocoRoco). But we don’t have anything set in stone yet.

Oliver: As a final note, I know the creation of Ratatan was done in thanks to crowdfunding. With this more personal connection to players and the process as a whole, how did that change your development of the game and the campaign?

Sakajiri: We’ve really been appreciative of the feedback from the community, especially happening as the game is being created. It’s one of the things that makes Ratatan unique: the players have a voice and a presence in the game. That being said, there’s been a lot of pressure to make sure something is being released every month, some update or some new content to make sure the fans are staying engaged. But still, it’s been very rewarding and we’ve appreciated hearing so much from the fans.

Oliver: The fans have definitely responded in kind, and there’s been a huge outpouring of support and love for the game as we get closer to the release of Early Access.

Kotani & Sakajiri: Thank you very much.

While the team couldn’t say as much as they’d like, the peek into the future of Ratatan and the hearts and minds that go into it are compelling and exciting. I’m absolutely looking forward to this game, and I hope players around the world are stoked for a homecoming that feels both new and familiar in the same, rhythmic breath.

Ratatan will be coming soon to Early Access on Steam, with console releases slated for the future.